The Forest of Contemplation
by NickTheWriter
Summary: ONE-SHOT! Arthur and Merlin get lost in the forest. NO SLASH. animal!AU in which everything about the Merlin universe is the same except the characters are animals.


**I was inspired to write this from a drawing I did of Arthur and Merlin as animals which I posted on DeviantArt. I'll leave a link at the bottom if you want to check it out. Enjoy!**

Arthur was lost. As much as he hated to admit it, both he and Merlin had gotten themselves lost in the middle of the forest. And to make matters worse, a heavy downpour had decided to unleash itself upon them. What had started out as a simple hunting trip had now turned into one of the most unpleasant days of Arthur's life, and there had been many unpleasant days.

The real hunt had begun that morning when Arthur had spotted a young stag. Not only could the meat be used for various purposes but the antlers as well. As a cat, he was a bit small in stature for a creature that large, which is why he was lucky to have Merlin as his servant, and friend, though he would not admit it often. Being a wolf, Merlin would aid Arthur in hunts that required his larger stature. He may not have been the most muscled of creatures, Arthur in fact surpassing him in that area, but Merlin had teeth and claws on his side, along with his magic, though the latter was still unknown to Arthur.

On this particular day, Arthur was quite stubborn in claiming his prize. Of course, like most things in his life, the hunt didn't go quite as he had hoped. A strong gust of wind had knocked over a tree which had previously been gripping to the ground quite precariously. As the pair were about to bring down their target, the tree snapped and toppled to the ground, sending the stag into a hurried frenzy. By the time Arthur and Merlin had gotten their bearings, the stag was nowhere to be seen.

"Damn", Arthur murmured under his breath. He sniffed the air and quickly picked up the scent of the fleeing stag.

"The scent is still here. Come on, Merlin".

"I don't know, Arthur. Maybe we should just head back. It looks like there might be some rain, and I for one don't want to end up smelling like wet dog at the end of the day."

"Don't be such a girl _Mer_ lin! Its the first stag I've seen this season. There's no way I'm letting it get away just because _you_ don't want to get dirt in your fur." And with that the argument had been won. There was no point in arguing with Arthur when he was in one of his moods. And so, the hunt continued. Merlin couldn't help but grin as Arthur trotted on with his tail erect, a sure sign of his determination. Merlin, having been Arthur's servant and friend for years now, could tell instantly when his king was determined to get something done. It looked like bringing down this stag was one of them.

However as the morning sun rolled into the early afternoon, it appeared that a few grey clouds had decided to do the same.

"Arthur? I'm getting a bad feeling about this. I really think we should turn back."

As Arthur opened his mouth with the intent to shut Merlin's, a thunderous boom approached overhead. It was Arthur's mouth that had been swiftly closed. With a heavy sigh, the king of Camelot finally gave in to defeat.

"Alright Merlin. For once, you may have a point. Lets get moving then before you start smelling like wet dog."

Merlin would have made a face at the remark if it were not for the fact that, for once, Arthur was listening to him. The black wolf turned and made to follow his golden furred master when he stopped in his tracks. Arthur had already done the same. They had been so intent on finding the precious stag again that they had lost track of where they were going.

"Arthur?"

"Don't say it, Merlin."

"We're lost."

"We're not _lost_ Merlin. We just need to follow our scent back into more familiar territory. I bet we're only a few miles from our usual hunting grounds." Before any more could be said, a droplet of water landed on Arthur's golden head. Followed by two more, and within a matter of seconds a downpour was upon them.

"We need to find shelter!" Came Merlin's shout above the thunderous noise of heavy rainfall. But Arthur, having had enough of this awful day, just wanted to get back home again so he could lie in his bed and forget about the day's horrendous bad luck.

"We're not that far! We can make still make it back! Its only a little rain!" Merlin sighed at this. He could understand perfectly why Arthur wanted to get home. However sometimes he just didn't know when to give up. The king lifted his head and began sniffing the air for the scent trail they would have left behind. But... nothing. With a heavy sigh, he turned to Merlin, believing the wolf may have a better chance at picking up their scent.

"Come on then, Merlin! You're a wolf! Your sense of smell is a lot stronger than mine! See if you can pick up the scent!" Merlin already knew that he wouldn't be able to find their scent with all this fresh rain lashing down, however at least Arthur might finally give up and look for shelter if he saw that Merlin didn't have any luck picking up their scent either. With that, the black furred wolf lifted his head upwards. Arthur watched intently as Merlin inhaled the air deeply, but frowned once again as the wolf shook his head to say no luck.

The cat king dipped his head and his ears drooped, the look of defeat once more emerging upon his face. He sighed once more, however it was inaudible beneath the tumultuous rainfall. Merlin understood his master's pain all too well. While they stood there, rain water drenching their fur, Merlin noticed what appeared to be a small den-like area beneath a large tree up ahead.

"I think I see somewhere where we can take shelter. Look Arthur!" Merlin pointed his muzzle in the diretion of the tree, and when his eyes lay upon it, Arthur allowed a small smile to form. At least they had shelter for the night. This was one of the many times where the cat was genuinely grateful for having Merlin as his best friend. When Arthur lost his head, Merlin kept his cool. When Arthur needed cheering up, Merlin made him smile, though unbeknownst to the servant. With a new-found spring in his step, only noticeable to those who knew him such as Merlin, the cat made his way to their temporary home for the night, followed by his loyal wolf companion.

The den beneath the tree proved to be a worthy shelter for the pair. Arthur and Merlin alike shook their soaked fur in attempt to rid themselves of as much water as possible. Though they were not completely free of wet fur, they were content with what they had achieved, and so they began to settle down for the night. As they hadn't caught anything earlier to eat, they were compelled to go hungry for the night. Usually in such a circumstance Arthur would order Merlin to catch them something for dinner, however seeing as there was currently a waterfall outside, and the fact that Merlin had found their little den, he let him off just this once. It was little things like this that left no doubt in Merlin's mind that Arthur would be the king that was foretold in the prophecy.

Putting these thoughts to rest, the wolf lay his head on his paws and closed his eyes, comforted by the sound of Arthur's breathing. The cat was strewn calmly across the floor, no worries evident on his face. In that moment, everything was ok. The world was at peace. There was silence, and then Merlin spoke softly.

"Arthur?" There was nothing for a moment, and then Arthur's own voice replied in a soft tone.

"Yes Merlin?"

"I just wanted to thank you. You know, for listening to me today."

"There's no need for thanks, Merlin. It wasn't you that persuaded me. I just... decided what was right in that situation." That was a lie. At least, part of it was. He did eventually do what was right, but he did it because he trusted Merlin. He realised he should have listened to him earlier. Merlin was always right. Arthur's pride just tended to get in the way.

At these words, Merlin knew that Arthur was only speaking half the truth. He just knew Arthur too well to know when he didn't mean everything he said. And with this in mind, he drifted off to sleep, a smile effortlessly placed upon his face.

The first of morning's light slipped quietly into the shelter, spreading its warmth upon the peaceful looking pair. Merlin, accustomed to getting up earlier than Arthur, was first to wake. Lifting his head, he opened his jaws wide and yawned widely. He arched his back, stretching his muscles, and then made his way to the opening. The rain had stopped, leaving nothing but muddy puddles in its wake.

Merlin took this as an opportunity to use his magic. With a flash of golden eyes, the wolf spread his magic, seeing the path they should take. They were about a day's walk from Camelot. With this done, the gold in Merlin's eyes receded back into their usual blue. He turned and headed back to Arthur, was only just stirring from his slumber. Following Merlin's routine, Arthur yawned and had a good stretch.

"I've managed to pick up our scent. Its faint but now that the rain is gone it shouldn't be a problem finding our way back to Camelot." Arthur looked pleased to hear the news, happy knowing he could sleep in his own bed tonight.

"Good job, _Mer_ lin. You may not be a completely useless wolf after all. And don't look so pleased. You'll be tending to a long list of chores once we get back." It was Arthur's turn to look pleased.

"Are all cats prats, or is it just you?" There was a smile in Merlin's voice, and Arthur was pleased. No matter how awful of a servant the wolf could be, Arthur would never have it any other way. There was a bond between them, unexplainable and strange in its way, but neither one minded. They needed each other, in more ways than one.

The journey back to Camelot was for the most part silent. Every now and again Merlin would lift his nose to the air to keep up the appearance that he was following their scent. Along the way they had managed to catch a few rabbitts, filling their previously void stomachs. The sun was beginning to set when they finally reached what they knew as home. As they entered the courtyard, Arthur stopped and turned to Merlin. He knew the wolf would follow him to his chambers in order to prepare him for bed.

"Take the night off Merlin. I'm sure Gaius will want to know where you've been."

"But Arth-"

"Merlin. I'll be fine for one night. I'll get someone to go and fetch George. Besides, I don't want you getting the smell of wet dog in my chambers." Typical of Arthur. He always did need to disguise his kindness towards his servant by throwing an offensive reason for it afterwards.

But Merlin just smiled.

"Thank you Arthur. I mean it." With a small smile of his own, Arthur simply nodded his head, and the two went their own ways for the night.

Arthur stopped just before Merlin was out of ear shot and called back

"And Merlin? Don't be late tomorrow morning!" And with that, the king of Camelot had disappeared in the direction of his chambers.

Merlin stood for a moment, letting a smile dance across his face.

And then he remembered how furious Gaius was going to be. The old labrador had a soft spot for Merlin, and though he may seem angry, he was just showing he cared. With haste, Merlin made for his own chambers, content to be home at last.

 **Well, that's it. I hope you all enjoyed. I literally had no idea where this would go but I'm pretty happy with where it went. Also, I could equally see Arthur being a stag, but as I drew him as a cat I decided to go with that, and have them hunt a stag instead.**

 **datawolf8/art/Arthur-and-Merlin-758921883**


End file.
